Angus Fairhurst has created works that try to physically erase the memory of man. He has manually blanked out man-made objects in geographically important places. This makes us think about memories of the earth before man, and the effect humankind is having on our world.
Source: Tate
↑ Angus Fairhurst
Swissair, All Evidence of Man Removed, 1993
← Angus Fairhurst
Stenness, All Evidence of Man Removed, 1993
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↑ "New Babylon is an anti-capitalist city perceived and designed in 1959-74 as a future potentiality by visual artist Constant Nieuwenhuys."
Right now the Netherlands has too much nitrogen in its soil. This is because the country is so densely populated and most rural space is converted into farming. Nitrogen as an element is in almost everything and is harmless to humxns, but plants it affects differently. Some hardy plants (usually classed as weeds) love nitrogen rich soil and thrive alongside humxn interference. But species of plant that are more fragile will die out as they are outcompeted for space and water in this nitrogen rich landscape. One plant that loves nitrogen is the stinging nettle. Nettle is usually dismissed as a pest plant but it's actually full of benefits!! It is the same family as spinach and has a similar taste with lots of vitamins in its leaves as well as minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron. The sting of a nettle has even been tested on helping with arthritic joint pain.
Film about a storm that threatens to break the dikes and flood the lower areas of The Netherlands
and Belgium (Netflix)
This plant is one that anyone living in a city in the west will have walked past. It's called plantago major and grows best in soil that has been upturned, such as anywhere where humxn's have cultivated the land in some way. This even includes in between pavement cracks. Indigenous Americans call this plant white man's footprint because it only appeared on the continent alongside European colonisers and moved across North America as it was invaded.
The younger leaves are good raw and the older leaves can be made into a stew. Like nettle, this plant is full of vitamins including vitamin D (which we all need in this country). The leaf of Plantago major also contains strong fibres that can be tied into a thread for various purposes.